The Different One
by ScarlettWings
Summary: Iris is an experiment like no other. She's always looked up to the flock, one day hoping to escape with them. But when she finally escapes, and runs into the flock again, she gives everybody the cold shoulder, like how they did her. Except one. REVIEW! :D
1. Escapee

**Hey again. It's another fanfic…and you've seen how consistent I am with my writings. I'm sick right now, but you'll just have to deal with how inconsistent I am, kay? (: I'll try to update without a two-month span between everything, but…yeah. I hope you like this. (:**

**Like it. Review it. Or the bacon monsters hiding under your bed will steal all your food! XD**

**Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own anything. Except Iris. :D**

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Cold eyes.

I was stared at with those cold eyes as I silently pleaded for her to free me from this hell. From the chain keeping me bound to this burning inferno. I didn't want to stay. I wanted to leave. To be free. To do what they've been doing ever since they came here. Every time they were caught. Escape.

But she only stared back at me with those eyes…I wasn't even sure if they were cold. But that was how my brain was interpreting them, since she was not turning to free me as well. But then the dark-haired boy whispered something in her ear, like, "we can't save them all". The leader took a gulp, and then turned her back upon me and followed the other four, off to save herself and her "flock".

My shoulders shook with silent tears as I was left, yet again. I begged with everybody, even the whitecoats. But I soon realized that begging to be let free led to more tests. More pain. I was told I was more powerful than them; the six. But I was always alone. They not dare make another of me, another experiment like me. I was unstable enough.

What am I, might you ask?

Well, that's classified information.

I laid there, all hope lost, becoming silent. I could feel my voice box withering away inside me as the weeks passed from lack of use. Pain chipped away at my mind, gnawing at my soul, trying to crack me.

And then my day came.

It was a day like any other. The whitecoats came in and picked up my crate, rolling me out for tests. I sighed, but uttered no word. Since it was early in the morning and I was the first out, all the windows were open to air out the chemical smell from the night before. Oddly enough, they trusted me not to fly off.

The crate was stationed near a window, where my small cheetah cub form was easily picked up and set atop the flat top of the crate. While he got a syringe ready, I sat down and groomed my fur. But not without catching sight of the scenery outside. Rolling green hills, bright, captivating green grass, deep blue sky… I was mesmerized instantly. Before I knew it, I'd leapt out the window without a sound and was running through the grass, grinning as my short legs carried me as fast as I could. My mind pinched for a moment, and then I was bigger—an adult cheetah.

The yells behind me announced that my escape had been registered, so my feet carried me faster. To my distain, they carried me right over a cliff.

I wasn't scared.

Because at that moment, my mind pinched again, and then I was soaring away, into the sunrise, as a Barn Owl.

Yeah, yeah. Night predator. Nocturnal. My favorite bird. So build a damn bridge and get over it, okay?

Hours later, I collapsed in a tree from exhaustion. During my journey, I'd decided I didn't want to be a bird anymore. So I morphed into me, but kept the wings. What can I say? Barn Owl wings are pretty awesome.

I climbed a little higher and made the wings disappear, curling up in the crook of two thick branches. My dark hair fell around my face, warming it up slightly.

I suppose this would be a good time to tell you about me.

My name is Iris. I have long, curly brunette hair, usually kept in a dirty scrunchie given to me by one of my best friends before I was taken here. I'm about 5'9, tall for my age, and slender. I would think of myself as the kid who's silence is taken as "too good to talk to anyone". Most people never forget my eyes—one green, one blue.

That is about all you need to know.

I hunkered down in the tree, sighing. I'd find the proper necessities needed to live tomorrow. Right now, rest was the number one priority.

* * *

In the morning, I was awoken by the squeaks of an unhappy chipmunk. My eyes opened to a bleary, unclear world, and an upset chipmunk staring at me. I shifted and noticed I was covering what appeared to be a hole in the tree—the chipmunk's home—and instantly rolled away with an apologetic squeak to the animal. Staring at me like I was crazy, the chipmunk scurried inside and hid.

I decided to get a move on. Combing through my hair with my fingers, I slid down the tree quietly, transforming into a dog. I was pretty cute, if I do say so myself. A little West Highland Terrier. I could feel the energy in my tiny legs just waiting to get out, but I walked along calmly, stopping to sniff every once in a while.

"I don't even _like _Arizona!" A male voice literally barked. "There are no good restaurants that allow dogs inside!" I flicked my ear, hearing the little claws tapping the sidewalk as the other dog walked, and the crunch of cement as someone walked beside him.

"Well, shut up and deal with it. We're just here for a little bit. Now, do you see any fo—Angel! What are you doing?"

A little curly-haired blonde girl, that looked no older than six, was suddenly standing in front of me, smiling genuinely. She reached down to pat me, her halo curls looking as if they were floating around her face, and instinctively, I fell into a lying down position, which, unfortunately, was mistaken for a play bow.

"Ooo! She wants to play!" The little girl squeaked, amused. She turned back to the tall girl, whom was standing beside the short, black, Scottie looking dog. "Total, come here."

The small dog, now known to me as Total, walked forward. He arched his neck forward, sniffing me cautiously.

Instead of sniffing back, I simply backed up a step in disgust, wrinkling my coal black nose. I didn't dare speak, though words were forming inside my head.

The little girl cocked her head to the side. "Max, what does 'as—"

"It's a word you don't need to know about!" she snapped, almost instantaneously. The much taller girl, with brown hair and eyes to match, looked down upon the two of us intently. "How did you know that word, Angel?"

The little blonde girl, _Angel, _I remembered, pointed to me. "She was thinking it."

The older girl, Max, looked at me accusingly. "Stop cursing," she hissed, and then took Angel's hand.

"Bark," I said generically. My leg reached up to scratch my ear. "Hiss."

"Hiss?" Angel asked, confused. "Don't cats hiss?"

Feeling like my cover was blown, I turned tail and bolted, my tiny terrier legs carrying me as fast as I could possibly go.

"Fang!" Max barked. "Catch that dog!"

Hands suddenly grasped my torso, causing me to whip my head back and try to bite. I saw the dark hair of someone carrying me, accompanied by black hair and olive skin. And then my scruff was grasped, and I was lifted to become nose-to-nose with Max.

"You're not a dog, are you?" she said quietly, interrogatingly. Fang and Total were scanning the area for any danger.

I gave her a defiant look, turning my head.

She shook me. "Speak!"

I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Ugh!" she groaned, dropping me. "I swear, it talked!"

The dark haired boy, who I assume was Fang, gave a slight smile. "Mhm."

As soon as my feet hit the ground, I was off and running. This time, I was caught by Total. Angel soon retrieved me.

"You're coming with us," Max grumbled, walking off. "If it's an ally of the Erasers, it might be able to cough up some info." For a moment, she fell silent. "Magnolia's old dog crate in Mom's attic. We can use that to keep it in one place."

"Her!" Angel snapped, holding my squirming body up so I couldn't run. She shook me, silencing my squirms.

"Her," she sighed, walking alongside Fang. I watched as he slipped an arm around her waist, intrigued as her body seemed to relax.

Then I came back to reality.

I was in deeeep sh*t.


	2. I'd Tell You, But I'd Have To Kill You

**Sup, yo? Recognize, I'm baaack. :)**

**I know Max is kind of cruel and heartless, but I need her like this for a while. It all falls into place soon, people. (:**

Iris

I looked on, in slight terror, as I was brought into a strange house. All the new scents hit me full force, and it took me quite a while to acclimatize to my new surroundings. The little girl, Angel, held me as this so-called Max sprung up…a dog crate? I barked a vicious bark, writhing violently in Angel's arms at the mere sight of the contraption. _Not again!_ I begged in my head. _Not again…_

Angel rested my writhing body inside the metal wired-domain. After a moment, she blinked, looking up. "I heard her think!" She hadn't even been fazed at all by my barking shenanigan.

Max grinned triumphantly. "What'd you hear?"

"She's scared of the crate," Angel inferred, staring down at me. I threw a bitch fit, clawing at the cage doors and barking.

A strawberry blonde boy descended the stairs, his pale blue eyes calculating. One of them, however, was cloudy. I assumed it was sightless. "What is going _on _down here?" the boy scowled, coming to a halt at the bottom of the staircase. His one good eye scanned the entire scene, eventually landing upon me. "Oh no. Not _another _one! I refuse to carry this…_thing _during our flights!"

Angel smiled. "You're just cranky because she woke you up from your nap, Iggy."

"Damn straight," he grumbled, walking forward. "Where'd you find this one this time, hmm? Junkyard?"

"At least I look better than you!" I snapped. My first words in months. Unfortunately, they were spoken in front of _them, _and they weren't kind words at all. I wasn't usually mean; only in situations such as this one.

"She spoke," Fang said, almost inaudibly.

"Yeah, well, let's leave her alone for the night. Maybe the smell of Ig's cooking will jolt her to her senses."

I whined, pawing at the crate. I scratched at the harness around my body as well. After getting no attention, I decided that all hope of getting out of here would be fruitless. Whimpering and crying, I laid down on the hard tray of my crate and tried to sleep. I began to think back to the times when I had begged and pleaded with them to let me go. Now that I think about it, they're just as bad as the damn whitecoats.

* * *

I was, in fact, woken by the smell of delicious cooking. As a response to my snarling stomach, I whined, causing a fit to erupt. I wasn't sure if they were going to feed me or not, but they better, lest angry Iris come out. A force _definitely _not to be reckoned with.

"Well, _she's _awake," the boy from before, known as Iggy, called, flipping pancakes in one pan, and frying bacon in the other. The mere smell of the delicious delicacy known to the world as bacon intoxicated my senses. Which is a terrible, terrible thing.

Because I morph when I lose control of my senses.

Barking and whining, I pawed at the cage door, even as my small paws slowly turned into fingers. As soon as I was full human, I stopped the canine speak and looked around. Uh oh…

Iggy looked over at the cage, and his eyes widened, then softened, then became alarmed. "Flock, that is _not _a Westie."

"Igs, what do you—" Max paused in the doorway, eyes wide. "You're…that girl…" The rest of this "Flock" had followed, consisting of Angel and Fang, and dark, mocha skinned girl with brown eyes, whom I'd hadn't had the _pleasure _of meeting.

I nodded quietly, my face stoic, giving away nothing. I turned my head, dark curls shifting as I lifted my nose slightly in the air in an ignorant gesture. _If they had the nerve to leave me behind so many times, I'll just ignore them all, _I grumbled to myself, not even minding being inside the crate now. As long as being in here didn't require me speaking to the likes of _them, _I was perfectly fine.

"I can hear her thoughts," Angel spoke up again. "Max, she's—"

"I don't want to hear it, Angel," she grumbled, sighing. "Not now." She ruffled the little girl's hair, murmuring softly to herself, and then her face hardened. Max took "intimidating" strides toward where I was held captive. Boy, I hate not being eye level to someone I hate.

"You ready to give up some info, whatever you are? You're working for the whitecoats, aren't you?" she growled, locking eyes with me.

I snorted, my arms finding each other so they could cross. I closed my eyes, sliding down to curl up in a ball and face the wall. _Not getting anything out of me,_ My thoughts mumbled. _And even if I did have a secret…why tell you?_

"Woah, Fang. Looks like you've got some competition in the silence department," the mocha-skinned girl joked. She pushed him lightly.

Iggy eyed the girl. "The _shortest _sentence ever formed by our six-freak-famous Nudge! Give her a hand, everybody!"

The girl, apparently named Nudge, smiled, clapping. She looked no older than twelve, whereas Angel looked about six or seven. This Iggy character had the height of an average sixteen year old, but his demeanor earned him a branding of a fourteen year old.

Max, however, was shorter than both Fang _and _Iggy, but her tenacity made up for what she lacked in the height department. Last but not least, our _pleasantly quiet _friend Fang. His hair was just touching his shoulder, one bang cut a certain way so it hung in front of his left eye. Both eyes were a piercing obsidian. He looked around fourteen, fifteen as well.

I heard an angry scoff, followed by footsteps receding from my side. "She will be _voluntarily _skipping breakfast. Is that clear?" Max commanded, obviously furious with my lack of communication. Good. I didn't like her either. Plus I got to be alone? It's a win-win. You know, except for the not eating part…

I looked down at my stomach, which was feeling the growls and pangs of hunger currently. I leaned against the cool wire, sighing heartily. "How're you getting out of this one, Iris?" I whispered, almost inaudibly, to myself.

After a while, I heard shuffles and plates clanging and banging against one another. Assuming breakfast had been finished, I opened my left eye, (the blue one) and stared at the shadows this "Flock" were casting inside the kitchen. Then, they shuffled out, one by one, out the back door.

"Take off without me, guys! I left something in my room. I'll meet you there!" The tall blonde boy, Iggy, (Jesus, I gotta get these names right) walked towards my miniature prison with a plate. I smelt the most incredible smell ever—bacon, _duh_—and nearly fainted as my stomach leapt, clawing to escape my body and sustain itself.

My multicolored eyes locked on the plate, and I had a pleading look in my eye as he grasped the crate lock. He gently opened the door, sliding the plate inside.

He turned his back on me, waiting while I literally inhaled the food. As I was finishing up, Iggy turned back to me, crouching to cage level. "Now that you've been fed," he began, taking the plate back. "Wanna tell me something?"

I smirked. It wouldn't be that easy. "I could tell you…but then I'd have to kill you."


	3. Come Out, Come Out!

**Hey guys. I'm back. :)**

**I really don't care how many reviews I get. I'm writing for the hell of it.**

Days passed, consisting if the sweet boy I'd grow to know as Iggy, constantly sneaking me food. I smiled at the thought of him, just because he was that sweet. Woah. Take it back a few inches. Do not even _think _that I'm falling for Iggy. It's just not happening.

One night, however, I had actually stared as Iggy unlocked the crate to feed me again. The code was simple: 36, 8, 1. So I shoved my arm out the bars and turned the lock to face me as much as I could. Hopeful, I spun the combination in.

_Click! _Was the sound of an unlocked lock as the device fell open. I got excited, pulling the metal item off and unlocking myself. But when I tried to stand up, I fell. With a large thud, I might add. I lifted my head to see Max poke her head down the stairs, and then glare. But my attention wasn't on her. It was on my legs, in which hadn't been used for so long, that they actually began to die. You heard right. _Die. _

Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to kick the life back into my legs. I was so close! I couldn't be defeated now. Not now. Not when I was so close to my freedom.

Strong hands grasped my arms and pulled me up. "Can you stand?" Iggy breathed in my ear. Woah. Didn't hear him coming.

I shook my head, unable to make a sound. I was too choked up. Too shocked. This just wasn't happening.

Iggy looked up at Max, who had her arms crossed. "No."

"Max."

"No."

"Stop being like that! The girl's lost the use of her legs!"

"They're just asleep. They'll be alive again in no time."

Iggy grimaced, holding me away from her. "What happened to that motherly figure, _Maximum?" _he sneered. "I thought you were the Flock's mother? You're not exactly acting like Mother Teresa right now. So stop being a bitch!"

Max stared, mouth open. Her lips curved into an angry frown, when Iggy raised his hand. "No, Max. You know what? I call the shots when it comes to her. I'm not listening to you anymore."

"Excuse me?" I asked weakly. My first word in months. "Can you possibly just…let me go? I'm not working for the lab…I'm an experiment, like…you." My eyes quickly turned cold. "But I never leave people behind that beg." In my anger, I jumped to my feet. "People that give you the most friendly eyes, that just plead for you to set them free. I looked up to you, to all of you, for so long. I wanted to be just like you guys. But I knew I was different. And you know what? I'm glad I'm different. Because if being %98 percent human and only %2 bird means I have to be an abandoner…I'm perfectly fine with being what I am. With being _a shapeshifter." _My eyes widened. I can't believe I said it. I…I had said it. I am, and will always be, a _shapeshifter._

I took a step back. My eyes glazed over, and then I crumpled to the ground. And the day, that same, horrible day, repeated itself.

Flashback

"_James, are you sure she's okay? I don't want to lose her…"_

"_I'm positive."_

_My mother looked into the nursery again. "What's that little thing in the corner? Is that…is that a puppy?"_

_A slow, sly smile spread across her father, James', face. It had worked. After a split second, the smile was gone. "I'm positive. Look, they're bringing one of the twins out now."_

_A nurse, with a kind, smiling face on, brought out a baby girl. She was asleep. "Baby Ella," she grinned. Then she bit her lip. "Unfortunately, ma'am, little Irissa didn't make it."_

_My mother sucked in a breath, about to cry. She let the tears fall, and James was there to wipe them away. He tried his best to look solemn. "I promise you, Layla, we'll give Ella the best life possible. She'll live both their lives."_

_She looked up at him. "I'll hold you to your word, James."_

_To this day, I still remember that conversation. I don't know why, because I was a simple newborn, but I do._

_Years later, I soon discovered that my "father" lied to my mother._

_Know why?_

_Because I was that little puppy in the corner._

_-Fast Forward-_

_I was in a cold, metal cage. I sucked my thumb, scanning the cold surroundings again. I'd never been outside of this place before. They constantly brought in new experiments, and every time one was placed next to me, I begged them to tell me of a story. Being in here got so boring so often that I just couldn't stand it, what with my six year old mind and such. _

_Every time I heard a new story about the outside world, I grew more and more excited. I begged with the whitecoats to take me to explore these "cities" and "beaches", but they simply shrugged off my pleas every time and rolled me off to be tested again. Most of the time, these tests hurt, and they worked me to the bone in my various different forms. Sometimes tiger, sometimes hawk. About any animal you can imagine._

_Then that day came. The day I was left behind._

_On my fifteenth birthday no less._

_And I never forgave them for that._

End Flashback

When I had come to, I was lying in something other than a crate. It was soft, cushiony even. I punched one of the rectangular soft things, watching with great interest as the item retained most of my fist's shape. Looking around, I snuggled deeper into the blanket, and then looked down at it and smiled. Was this…what they called…a bed?

I pointed to each item upon the bed in turn. "Pillow," I whispered, "blanket, sheet."

"Indeed."

My multicolored eyes turned to land upon the drowsy form of Iggy, sitting on his windowsill seat. My cheeks colored a little bit of pink, and I turned away. I never wanted to say much, because I really wasn't very educated. I was _terrible _at math, I couldn't read, and on rare occasions, had trouble with sentence formation.

He stood. "Something wrong, Iris?"

"No," I snapped back quickly. I turned and cuddled back down into the bed. I couldn't think of this. Not now.

Iggy bit his lip, pondering whether or not to speak. "You…you can't—"

"Don't. Say it. Please." My voice was choked, and I felt my throat closing and constricting. No, no, no. I wasn't about to cry. I wasn't about to cry. I wasn't about to cry…

Too late.

Tears spilled over my face at an alarming rate. I hid my face, pulling the covers over my head to cover the tears and embarrassment. Yeah. I couldn't read. Yeah, I had trouble speaking sometimes. So, I can't read or write. That flashback, as well as Iggy's appearance when I named the items upon the bed, tugged at me. They tugged hard, reminding me of how I never got to be a real kid who goes to school, who learns something new every day.

I felt myself sliding a little as weight was added to the bed. Hard, yet soft arms wrapped me in an embrace. Without shame, I buried my face into Iggy's chest, crying my eyes out.

And then I heard it.

A piercing, bloodcurdling scream.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"


	4. Well, Sht

**Hi guys! I started a story on …if you want to check it out, this is the link: [.com/s/2901111/1/The_Curse_of_Half_Blood_Hill]. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Oh, and I know Iggy's fully blind in the books. But in my story, he's half blind. :) {blind in one eye}**

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own anyone but Iris. :P OH! And I don't own Gucci. :)**

"Nudge!" Max shrieked, hauling herself downstairs at full speed. "Put her down you foul-mouthed toad!"

A deep, taunting voice reached my ears. "Give us Subject Seven."

Max growled. "We don't have a seventh you retarded kindergartener! Only six!"

A slam. I heard Max struggling, pounding the wall. Whatever was downstairs must've pinned her against it. "Lies!" he hissed. "The most powerful one. The one built to be better than even _you, _Maximum Ride. The shapeshifter. _Where is she?_"

Iggy's eyes widened, and he whipped his head over to look at me. "You—"

At that moment, the glass shattered, sending hundreds of tiny sharp pieces floating over Iggy and I as he threw himself over me to protect me. I didn't have time to push Iggy away, as I was too busy cowering in fear.

"Hey Ari," another deep, taunting, menacing voice growled. "I found her."

Uh oh…I should've known they'd find me soon…Erasers.

There was a loud thud—probably Max dropping to the ground. "Really now?" Ari chuckled darkly, landing a kick in Max's side. Thumps were heard as he proceeded up the stairs. His eyes instantly locked upon me, causing another dark chuckle to erupt. "So we meet again, Iris."

My lip curled back in a snarl. "I wish we didn't have to, dirt for brains. It'd be quite pleasant if you just left me alone—Iggy run!" I bolted for the window, catching the two Erasers off guard. While both stumbled to grasp what just happened, I was already out the window. The wind hit my face at full force, whistling around my ears. "Tyto Alba," I whispered.

Feathers started to sprout quickly, and I could feel my bones shrinking and becoming lighter. The brightness of the sun suddenly hurt me for a moment, but then I acclimated to the weather circumstances. Easily, I pulled up hard, pushing off the ground in time to soar up and see Iggy through the window, being forced to the ground. He looked up and mouthed, "Go!"

I looked up, noticing Ari loading a tranquilizer gun. He swung to aim at me, and instantly, I swerved around and blasted off. Unfortunately, I felt the all-to-familiar prick in my wing. I figured I'd get as far as I could before I passed out, so I struggled with a rickety and precarious flight for at least a couple hundred feet. After that, I slowly began to descend, fighting to keep my eyes open. But I'd lost the fight, and eventually, I crashed in a tree, falling under.

Max

Ari slammed me against the wall, almost choking me. "Where are the others?" he screamed. Iggy and Nudge were back to back next to the Eraser behind him, blindfolds over their mouths and bound together by their wrists.

I almost gagged. "N-now, wh-y would I te-ll you?" The lack of air was messing with my speech, and noticing this, Ari loosened his grip slightly, and I sucked in a huge breath.

"I'm going to give you one last chance, Ride. Tell us where they are."

I spat. "Never."

That landed me a hard slap to the cheek and a hard kick to the side. I almost cried out, falling to my knees. This wasn't me. I needed to be tougher. But somehow, I couldn't find the will to be.

I knew Fang, Angel and Gazzy were in the corner. Fang was touching the two of them, keeping them invisible as well as himself. I know that had to take a lot of tolerance and concentration, and I knew those two knew that in order for them to stay free, they needed to sit still.

Unfortunately, Gazzy's intestines couldn't keep still. I figured that out from the green fog slowly taking over the room.

"Ack!" Iggy choked, his eyes watering. "Jesus! Save me!"

"Save _you? _Save _me! _This is a true _Gucci _dress! It'll smell like skunk fluids forever now!"

"_Nudge!_ We can worry about your damned dress later, okay?" Iggy hissed. "These Erasers are distracted with their watery eyes." He thought. "Crab crawl to the kitchen!" Together, the two shifted and crawled over to the kitchen, avoiding the coughing lupine hybrids. The two then stood, and Iggy grabbed a knife in his hand. "Nudge, squeak if I pinch you by accident, okay?" He started cutting through rope, eventually breaking his bonds. Iggy then twisted around and sawed Nudge free.

Nudge rubbed her wrists. "Thanks. Now let's get outta here!" She bolted for the door, where the other three were already sitting on the roof, waiting. "Where's Max?" she asked quickly, shaking her wings out.

Fang pointed inside. "She's coming."

"She's already in the air," I yawned. "Now let's go! Quick!" Rapidly, each flock member shot off, riding into the horizon.

Iris

When I came to, I was standing in a dog carrier, not crate, of some kind. The ground under my feet was towel, and it was a soft one at that. Soft cries of birds filtered through my ears, just as the top to my carrier was opened.

A kind, tanned face poked into my view. "Oh hi, sweetie! Glad to see you're awake." She reached inside, pinning my wings to my sides in a harmless grip, and allowed me to stand upon the table. The woman checked me over, monitoring my vital signs. "Okay, you're looking good. Just a dose of a nasty tranquilizer, hmm? I think you can go with the other Owls."

I squawked in protest, struggling as I was rested inside again. Eventually, the crate was opened again, and I flew forward, landing on a branch. My gaze met at least seven other owls of a few different kinds, and one other Barn Owl. Then, I realized I was stuck in an aviary. With a lot of different people squishing their faces up at the bars to see me and my "flock mates".

Well, shit.


	5. Uh Oh

**Ello, people. :) Howya been? This should be a good chapter…who doesn't love their hero being in trouble? **

**;~;**

Iris

I groaned, staring at all the new faces of this new, woodsy smelling state. I'd been shipped out of here when this aviary heard another was short of a Barn Owl—whoopee—and wah-lah! I'm now here in the next hellhole on my list. Splendid, isn't it?

These owls acted like actual owls—soaring and flying silently, some diving at the ground to catch a live mouse or two, others settling down to nest. I sighed, turning away from everyone, and sat in the Barn Owl's old tree-hollow nest. I basically hated this place. How the other birds could be so cramped and never have any privacy, constantly being gawked at by other people is _completely beyond me._

I just have to hope I'll get out of here. _If ever._

Iggy

We'd been flying for a while now, and it was visible, even _with _my blind eye, that the long flight was really getting to everyone. Total fell from exhaustion, and much to Fang's distain, he had to dive down and catch him to keep him from going splat.

Nudge started to whine a little. "Max, _please? _Can we _please_ take a break? 'Cause, I mean, everyone here looks tired and cold and hungry and we all want to just go lie down somewhere but no one's really up to speaking up and getting into an argument with you so they just stayed quiet but I _really, really, really _wanna lie down—"

I shoved a mouthful of my feathers into Nudge's mouth. "I can't put my hand over your mouth, but I can put my wing over it. Jeez. Run-on sentence much?"

Max eyed me. "The hell is a run-on sentence?"

"You're the one who made us learn. You should know."

"Excuse me for focusing my energy on saving your asses."

The rest of the flock could see the irritation on her face as she pondered this decision. But it was obvious what it was going to be as she surveyed her flock. "You know what? We've blown past at least four states. I think _everyone _here is in need of a good rest."

Max's eyes grazed the grown—it was an urban area. She scowled, and then noticed a leafy, forested area. "Land there, guys." She began her circular descent, the rest of us easily following her, until the grass tickled our shoes.

Nudge looked around, excited. "Oh, this place seems so _pretty!_"

"Urban areas aren't the prettiest thing in the book, Nudge," Gaz chimed in, yawning. "Can we get something to eat now? And maybe some supplies?"

I yawned as well. "Yawns are contagious. I say we split up into two groups. Max, Fang, Angel. Don't lose track of her, you two."

Fang's eyes were cold as they bored into my blind eyes. "Don't lose track of Gazzy, Ig."

I growled, my fingers curling and uncurling. "You can't even use that card on me, Fang. You of all people should know." Iggy let out a slow sigh. "You guys can get the food. We'll get the supplies. Okay? Sound good, Maxie?"

"It would sound so much better if you never called me that again. But yeah." Max extended her wings, as did Fang and Angel, and took off for town.

I, however, decided to take a more lazy approach and simply walked into town, my little group trotting along beside me.

As we were walking back to our little "meeting area", Nudge plastered her face to the glass. "Oh my gosh! Iggy! Please! Can we go _in there?_"

I read the sign above the glass of where Nudge's face was staring at the tweeting animal inside. _Angels' Aviary_, it read. I sighed. If I didn't take her, Nudge would then bother Max with this, and Max would get annoyed, and then she would snap, and then Nudge would get hurt, and both parties would end up feeling like shit. So I guess it was my objective to stop this fight from even happening.

"Sure Nudge," I sighed again, unenthusiastically. While the guards weren't looking, Nudge managed to make the turnstiles move without a ticket for all of us. She then tried to bound off, but I caught her arm. "Remember, we're only here for around fifteen minutes, okay? Any longer and the flock will worry and Max will get ticked. Okay? If someone tries to take you, scream your brother is in here with you and will kick your ass. Got it?"

Nudge nodded quickly, running off. I knew it was a bad idea to let her just run off by herself, but, you know what? You gotta trust them sometimes.

"I guess it's just you and me now, Gaz." I said, looking in all the enclosures of birds. "I've never felt so at home," I grinned jokingly.

Gaz pushed me a little. "Tweet, tweet."

I laughed. "Ooo. Owls." My heart constricted a little at the thought of Iris' scared face as she shot away from the house. I saw her get shot. I saw where she fell. But…when we were flying over the forest, I didn't see her body.

Gaz waved a hand in front of my face. "Hey, Ig. You okay? You seem paler than usual."

I ran a hand through my strawberry blonde hair. "I'm fine," I swallowed. "Like I said, ooo, owls." My feet made a soft shuffling sound as I went over to the owl enclosure. The Tawny owl they had caught my attention for a few brief moments, and then my eyes settled on a lonely Barn Owl, far off from everyone else. My heart started racing, as cheesy as that sounds. But when it turned it's head, that's when I knew.

Iris

My coal black eyes widened. _"Iggy!"_ I squawked, shooting forward to land on a perch in front of him. I slapped the Plexiglas **(A/N: That really thick, really hard plastic you've probably tried to punch and hurt yourself on.)** with my wing, and eventually began to claw at it with my foot. I saw Iggy looking desperately around the cage, trying to find a way to get me out.

I jumped off my perch, diving to the back of the enclosure where the metal grating door was, where the caretakers of the birds usually put in foot. I swung my head from side to side, scoping the hallway out. No one was inside. They must be on _their _lunch break.

Iggy had followed me all the way around the enclosure. After a quick glance around, he pushed his way into the door that read "EMPLOYEES ONLY".

I squawked louder, trying to give him an idea of where I was. The little boy next to him had followed, trying eagerly to find out what he was doing.

Iggy got his backpack ready for me, and then opened the door a slit for me to get out. Instantly, I shot into his bag and sunk down, grateful to be out of there.

"What are _you _doing in here?" an accusing voice came.

Gaz whipped around to see a security guard there, wielding a nightstick. "I wanted a pet mouse," he said innocently.

The guard didn't look convinced. "So it's in the bag?"

Iggy nodded quickly, feeling the bag lighten with my shifting into a mouse. "Mmhm."

"Give it here," he said roughly, snatching the bag. He opened the bag to see me poke my nose out, chittering and grooming my face. The guard sighed. "It's just a mouse. Get lost, kids. And don't let me see you back here again."

"Yes sir," the Gasman and Iggy chimed together, running out. On the way, Iggy grabbed Nudge's arm and zipped the backpack up again, feeling it get heavier with my change back.

Once we were safely nestled in the air, Nudge asked what all the commotion and the rush had been about.

"Iggy fell in love with a bird and stole it! But he took a mouse too, so he hid the bird in a different pocket and the guard only saw the mouse."

Nudge looked at me, appalled. "Iggy! You stole?"

I simply smiled, gliding down to the campsite. "I didn't steal. I freed. Freed Iris, to be exact."

With that being said, I burst out of his still-open backpack, flapping my wings hard. I did shift back into human, but kept the wings as I landed gently beside him. However, seeing the rest of the flock in the clearing made me pull in my wings and sit in the back, sighing.

Iggy worked his magic over the grill, a.k.a, open fire, and after a moment, every one was happy filling their stomachs.

Iggy walked over to me, offering a slight smile. "You should eat. You'll need it."

"Why?" I said quietly. "I'm not a part of your pack-pride-flock thing. I can just go get food whenever. You guys need it more," I murmured back.

"No, you do, Iris. Don't argue with me. Please. Just…eat."

I looked into his eyes for a moment, searching them for something. I didn't know what, but I still searched. "Fine." I took the food into my lap and slowly began to eat.

Iggy draped a blanket over my shoulders before hurrying back to the rest of the flock, who'd finished eating. Eventually, they all huddled together in a feathery mass, and fell asleep.

That left only Iggy and I, still awake.

Uh oh.


	6. Home?

I rubbed my shoulder awkwardly, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Uh…I guess we should go to sl—"

"What's it like?" he asked abruptly, staring at me with interest.

"What's it like to what…?"

"To be a shapeshifter…to see with both eyes. What's it like?"

I smiled a little—something I've only done a handful of times in my life—and looked to the wild, untamed skies. "It's…" I desperately searched for the right word. "Exhilarating." I closed my eyes. "You feel…unstoppable. Like you could do anything in the world. After all…you basically can. You can fly like an eagle…run like a cheetah…charge like an elephant…" My smile disappeared. "But…you're treated differently. Like you're supposed to be something overly great. The best thing in the world. But…I'm not. I'm just like any other…" I trailed off.

Shoving myself up, I scoffed. "Who am I kidding…I'm not like any one other kid." I kicked a rock, hiding my face and leaning against a tree. "I'm a freak. A freak who can alter her DNA at will with the simple murmur or thought of the scientific name of the animal."

Iggy

I bit my lip. I didn't know whether to comfort her, or to sit in silence. I finally stood up. "Iris…you're not a freak."

"Yes I am."

"Iris, if you're a freak, you're the most beautiful freak I've ever seen in my life." I closed my mouth instantly and my eyes widened. Had I just said that?

She turned slowly, eyeing me. "…you're…not kidding?"

I sighed. "Iris…you're beautiful. You're brave. A little hardheaded, but brave. I like that about you. You're not stupid, just because you spent sixteen years in a dog crate and didn't get the chance to stretch and be 'off leash' and learn to read. Or learn period. You're you." I walked closer, until we were almost chest-to-chest. "And I like you, Iris. A lot."

Iris

My eyes widened as his lips started to lower closer and closer to mine. I panicked, pushing him away and backed off, face pale. "I'm sorry, Iggy…I'm so sorry…" I turned my head to the sky. "Tyto Alba!"

Then I was off.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

I flew.

I flew until my wings ached, and my stomach screamed. Until my brain was numbed and blurred with the sheer exhaustion that is continuous flight. I don't even know how long I'd been flying, but all I acknowledged was the softest grass I'd ever felt in my life suddenly come in contact with my face. I didn't feel the pain of my crash land. Blackness instantly grabbed hold of my body, shoving me into the jail cell of my mind, where I'd be locked up until the end of my sleep.

Poke.

"Mommy, is she dead?" a little boy's voice stabbed it's way into my slumber.

"No. She's just sleeping."

My eyes flittered open, and I turned to look up at the woman and child who spoke.

The lady had long, straight dirty blonde hair with blue-green eyes. Her face was kind, and smile lines were visible on her face. Her child had short, curly dark brown hair and black eyes. He looked mischievous, like he laughed a lot.

"Sweetie, are you okay? You don't look like you're in very good shape." The lady squatted down to my eye level, looking concerned. "You're under the slide set in the park. Joey over here found you." She motioned to the toddler playing in the sand nearby.

I sat up and brushed hair back out of my face. "I'm…uh…okay. I guess. You don't have to worry about me." I came to a stand, muscles stiff and sore, and began to walk away.

"Wait!" she called, standing up as well. "Can I escort you home? Call your parents to pick you up?"

I froze instantly. Parents. My sensitive topic. I thought I was the only one in the world without parents, until even the misfortunate experiments like I told stories of them.

"Uh…I…they…" I sighed, balling my fists. "I don't have any, okay?" So I bolted, or tried to, when the lady clasped her hand around my wrists.

She looked at me with an understanding face. "You know, it's very easy, with a trained eye, to tell what you are." She smiled at me kindly. "I'd be more than happy to let one of…the _special _hybrid of people the government don't have a clue about stay with Joey and I." She stuck her hand out. "My name is Amanda Valdez."

I tentatively took it, and shook it a little. "Iris. I…uh…don't know my last name. Tell me, Amanda. How do you know exactly what I am?"

She smiled. "Look down."

I did as I was told and looked down. There was a flash of dark red scales running down her arm for an instant, and then they were gone.

"I'm part reptilian," she yawned nonchalantly. Amanda then turned to Joey. "Joey! It's time to go home."

The little boy whined and trudged over to us. "Do we gotta?"

"Yes, we gotta." She took his hand. "Say hi to Iris."

Joey looked up at me with interest. "Hi dere."

"Hi," I said quietly.

Amanda looked between us, and then motioned to her car. "Um…let's go." After a short walk over, she first opened up the backseat and buckled Joey into his car seat. Then, she unlocked the passenger side for me. "Hop in."

As we bounced down the road in her shiny, but older model-looking Honda, Amanda decided to strike up a conversation. "How long have they had you?"

"I don't know," I said quietly. "I can't remember ever getting out of there…except for last week."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I was around seven when I finally got out. My best friend Kae and I. Kae settled down. I figured it was time for me to do the same. Except…she's luckier than I." Amanda sighed, her face falling. "Joey's father left last month." But she perked up, glancing at me. "You've been in there for a while, have you not? Would you like me to tutor you? I am a certified teacher."

I looked over at her hopefully. "Would you please? I can't…read." I swallowed. I knew I was quick to trust this woman, but she was an experiment too. She knew what I had been through. She could relate to me. And for that, I was thankful.

"Of course I would, Iris." She pulled into the driveway of a homey looking, mahogany painted house. "We're here."

Joey squealed in the backseat. "Let me out!"

Amanda grinned and got out, and then opened the back door. She swiftly unclipped Joey, and then watched as he scurried up to wait at the front door.

I got out slower, taking more time to swallow my surroundings. It was a decent neighborhood. I didn't feel like I'd be shot if I was walking a dog down the street, nor would I feel out of place and dirty.

"Iris?" Amanda called, holding the door open. "Come on."

I hurried after her, and into their home. The living room, to my right, was cozy, with a couch and two arm chairs and a coffee table in the middle, with a TV sitting in front of it. To my left, the kitchen, with a sleek black kitchen, big sink, large counter space, and a dishwasher, as well as all the rest of the standard kitchen appliances.

"You can have this room," Amanda said, pushing open a dark brown door. I peeked my head around the corner and eyed my surroundings. The walls were a deep red color, with a dark brown twin bed in the middle. It had light blue sheets, and a darker blue blanket with sky blue pillowcases. The dresser and closet door were painted white, as well as the nightstand.

"The bathroom is down the hall," she replied calmly. "I know this is a little big to take in, but you'll like life like this. It feels…safer." Amanda smiled at me. "I don't have many rules. Keep everything tidy, don't scream, y'know. Just the classic manners."

"Classic…manners?" I blinked. "What do you mean by 'classic'?"

Amanda shrugged. "You know. Things you wouldn't do anyway. Don't attract attention to the house. Like that." She looked me up and down, thinking. "My niece left some of her clothes here on accident last time she visited…you two look the same size." Amanda went over and dug around in a hall closet, and then pulled out a dark purple towel. "The bathroom is down the hall and to your left. Lunch will be on the table in twenty, okay? If you're not out by then, I'll just put something aside for you."

I proceeded down the hall, but paused at the doorway. I turned my head to her kind face, my eyes glowing with appreciation. "Thank you."

She smiled at me, and then nodded. "You're very welcome, Iris."

I stepped inside of the dark brown (believe it or not, these dark colors look remarkably pretty) bathroom, and then furrowed my brow at the shower. "Hmm…uh…red usually means hot…so, I'll put it in the middle." I twisted the single knob, and the showerhead came to life, spurting out streams of water. I peeled off my dirty clothes and stepped in, eyes rolling back in sheer pleasure at the feel of an actual shower.

I think I wasted at least five minutes just standing there, enjoying the water, before I actually began to move around. Washing my hair, scrubbing my body…

"Am I seriously that pale?" I gaped. "Dirt makes me look darker than I appear…" And there was a lot of it, too. Almost the whole bottom of the tub was gray and brown. But I'd rather it be there than on me.

By the time I finally stepped out of the shower, I was sure a half hour had past already. I slipped into the new full outfit Amanda had managed to find for me, and slipped it on. It felt so good to be in something clean…

"Iris?" She knocked, not coming in. "Lunch is on the table."

"Okay," I said quietly, opening the door. "Uh…thanks." I scurried down the hall and took a seat at the table. In front of me sat a bowl of macaroni and cheese with grape juice and a fork on the side.

But it was so much more than that. It wasn't just a meal. It was…a mish mash of things. But the one thing that dawned on me most, was that it was…home.

**I really hope you guys liked this chapter…I tried to make it extra long. I know this is turning sappy Maximum Ride-ish, but I promise things will take a turn. :)**


	7. Cooking & Carter

**Okay…you've all got the right to kill me. I recently re-read my story, and felt up to the challenge of writing some more. Unfortunately, my dearest puppy decided to chew up the laptop charger. Great, huh? So now, if I can puppy dog eye my mommy, she'll let me use her's. (We both have Dells.)**

It had been at least a few weeks since my crash land and Amanda and Joey found me. I learned a lot about regular living throughout my stay, and much more academically as well. After about two weeks, I soon found myself shaking Amanda awake to teach me something else. She'd just joke about "school in the summer" and succumb to my will to learn. Things had been going pretty great.

You know, until she dropped me off at the curb of high school.

Splendid, huh?

"Go on, Iris." She smiled encouragingly. "I've taught you enough. I'm sure you'll be able to thrive here. Don't forget you can always rely on me to help you out with school work and homework and such."

I shrugged, obviously upset. The schedule in my hand crumpled slightly from my disappointment. I wasn't ready for this…

Amanda watched as I climbed back into the front seat of her Honda. "I'm not ready," I mumbled.

She gave me a long, deciphering look before sighing. "I suppose so. We can try again next week."

She started to drive forward when I caught a glimpse of strawberry blonde hair. "Stop the car!"

"What?" Amanda looked panicked. "What is it?"

I found my heart beating faster than ever, pounding even, in my chest. It couldn't be… "I'll see you later." I exited the car once more and climbed the stairs, brushing easily past who I was desperately hoping I though it was.

Iggy

"Who's the girl?" Fang gave a lazy yawn and wrapped his arms around Max's shoulders.

"I don't know. I feel like I do, but I don't. Now, onto the main question: Maximum Ride, why the hell did I allow you to talk me into going back to school?"

"Because Nudge had a desire to learn some more crap and she wouldn't stop bugging me until I put her back in. The middle school is just down the road, and I figure we stand a better chance of getting to her should something go wrong. Because, you know, something almost always goes wrong…"

"This is just too true…" I gave an exasperated sigh as the bell rang. "Let's just meet up at lunch, okay? We can chat more there." I gave my knuckles a crack. "Right now, I've got some ladies to school in cooking." I grinned at the two of them, then adjusted my backpack and walked off.

Iris

Despite the fact that I despise the discomfort some clothes bring to me, I have to say, I was really rocking these short, black heeled boots Amanda bought me. You know, the ones that zip up at the ankle? Hmm. Ankle or heel? Whichever is that bone that pokes out on your foot. I'm going into Food Sciences, not Anatomy.

The teacher, a middle aged woman with dark red hair and blue eyes greeted me at the door. "Ahh. A fresh face. You must be Iris." The woman smiled warmly and stuck out her hand. "I'm Mrs. Chance. You can take a seat anywhere."

I tried to return the warm gesture and walked down the row of counters, choosing a seat in the back. I dropped my side bag beside the stool I was to sit on and sat.

"And you must be James! What a pleasure to have two new faces."

"Actually, you can call me Iggy."

"Why of course. We're all friends here. Pick a seat."

I immediately looked down at my spiral and started doodling, hair falling in front of my face. Don't see me, don't see me, don't see me…

Unfortunately, I heard the shuffling of a dropped book bag and the scraping sounds of a chair moving. Then I heard the voice next to my ear, "You look lovely in that dress, _Iris._"

I growled. "How'd you know it was me, Iggy."

"That doesn't matter. What matters is how _amazing _you look in that dark red and black dress of your's."

"Way to sound like a pervert."

"I'm only a pervert when something extremely hot is put in front of my face."

"Oh stop it." I rolled my eyes and picked my head up. "How exactly did you find me?"

"I didn't." He shrugged. "My younger sister Nudge wouldn't stop bugging Max about going back to school. She loves to learn, so we're just staying in an apartment for a while."

"Where'd you get the money?"

"Max's mom is wiring us money for it. I'm also a chef."

"At what? Taco Bell?"

He held his chest. "I am hurt. No, at that gourmet restaurant downtown. La Luna Bella."

"Ahh, I've seen that."

"Maybe I should take you there—"

"Iris? Iggy?" The teacher piped up, staring us down. "Are you done with your new kid conversation?"

"Uh…yes Mrs. Carte."

"Good. Now, maybe you'll like to join the class in making the mini cake I just assigned? If you get started now, you'll just have enough time to ice it and eat it."

I nodded, standing up and going over to the supply closet. Iggy followed me. "You should probably let me do the baking. Wouldn't want a fine lady like you to get burned." He grinned cheekily.

I slapped him. "I'm perfectly capable of baking compared to the fact I've been on the run for months," I hissed in his ear. "Now shut up and I'll do the cooking. I actually want to do well." I snatched the flour and eggs from his arms, then made him carry the rest.

"Ooo. I like 'em feisty." He grinned from ear to ear. I swear he was the Cheshire Cat.

I glared at him, then opened the cooking textbook. "Hmm…dry ingredients first…" I threw everything into a bowl. "Hmm…now three large eggs…" I threw the eggs in, "…oil…"

Iggy caught my arm before I poured in the oil. "See, maybe you might want to crack the eggs first." He set my arm down, and then cracked open the three eggs.

I shot him another death glare, and then snatched up the oil. I measured it out first, then poured it in. Next came the milk…and then the water…

"Hmm. You're managing not to kill anything…stir it."

I rolled my eyes and stirred the batter. "Why is it so watery?"

Iggy shrugged. "Batter isn't supposed to be watery. It can't rise if it is. Now, to fix that problem, you put in some more dry ingredients to…well, dry it up. And here, hold the spoon like this." He gently placed his hand over mine and fixed the way I was gripping the spoon. I stared into the batter when I felt the little shocks run through my fingers, swallowing. "Is it fixed?"

"It looks so…it looks like it actually has some consistency. You can pour it into the pan now."

I nodded and poured the batter in. Iggy went ahead and placed it into the big oven with everyone else's cakes, then set our timer.

"Now, class. Since you all seem to be done, why don't we share a little something about us?" Mrs. Carte smiled. "Iggy. You go first."

Iggy gave a sly grin and slid up to the front of the class. "My name? James. Hate it. Iggy? Short for ignite." He grinned. "I liked making paint bombs. I'm sixteen. I have five siblings. And I've got a crush on this one chick that's pretty much dissing me 24/7 right now." He snickered. "And that's all you need to know."

My head was on the desk. "Oh dear god…kill me," I mumbled. After that, I pretty much blanked out, might've even fallen asleep, until the smell of a freshly iced chocolate cake hit my senses. "Mmph? Cake?"

Iggy was grinning at me and waved the cake in my face. "I knew that scent would wake you up. I had a bag of M&Ms in my bookbag and totally coated the cake in it. Great looking, huh? Try some."

I rolled my eyes and saved Mrs. Carte a third of the mini cake for our grade. Once the cake entered my mouth, I groaned. "Oh my god. In heaven…"

After about five minutes, the bell rang. I sighed and gathered my things, for once a little bit glad to leave Iggy in my wake. I needed to think…desperately. As I opened my new locker, I rummaged through it and put my stuff away, then grabbed my schedule from the back of my locker. "Hmm…looks like I've got art next. Back to back electives? _And _a class I more than likely won't get yelled at for doodling in? (I watched a lot of high school shows to prepare myself for this. Don't judge.) Perfecto. I grabbed my colored pencils and sketch pad and shoved them into my side bag, then closed my locker door. To my surprise, there was a guy standing there, waiting, on the other side of my locker. I jumped. "Jesus, don't you know not to sneak up on a girl in heels? You run the risk of losing your manhood!"

The guy just smiled back, shrugging. "Football hurts. I haven't lost it yet. Anyway, my name's Carter. And the pretty lady's name would be?" Pretty? Uh, not really…

I looked him over warily. There didn't seem to be much, if anything wrong with him. Light brown hair, blue eyes…Nice arms…nice torso…varsity jacket… "Iris. And could you be anymore cliché?"

"Excuse me?" he smirked. "I believe the definition of high school cliché would be blonde and blue eyed and football captain. I've only got two out of three of those things." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes as the bell to get to class sounded. "I've got to get to art, Mr. Cliché Pretty Boy." I adjusted my side bag and walked off. "See you around."

Sound cliché already? It does to me too.

So why does it feel like all hell will break loose?

Most of the day went well after that, I guess. On my way out to the curb to wait for Amanda, I was stopped by the same guy from before. "Woah. Why do you keep running into me?"

He smirked. "I guess we're just drawn to each other, huh?"

"Carter, right?"

"Yep. So I was wondering, wanna grab a bite on Saturday?"

I shrugged. "Sure, I guess. I don't have anything planned." I was faintly aware of blue eyes with so much hate in them they could kill a cow behind Carter.

He flashed me a regal smile. "Pick you up at seven?"

"Sure." I jotted down my address for him and slipped it into his jacket pocket when I heard a horn honk. "Tis my ride. I've got to go. Seeya soon." I smiled genuinely, then walked off to Amanda's waiting van.

She was grinning madly at me. "So you have a date?"

"How'd you know?"

"My hearing was enhanced. And he looked like he was really in to you." She chuckled. "And now, I plot deviously for your makeover."

Aw, shit.


	8. Preparations Have Been Made

Iris

The rest of the week went by fairly uneventfully. There wasn't much to really occupy my mind except for the growing anticipation I felt for this Saturday. I'd never been on a date before. Hell, I'd never come in contact with any boys _not_ twenty years older than me until at least two or so months ago. So I have no idea how I'm going to act...do I play it cool? Goofy? Overeducated? The possibilities are endless!

"Earth to Iris." Iggy snapped his fingers in front of my face. "Don't burn our food!"

"Huh?" I snapped back to reality, sighing. "The pancake burned. Great. Why didn't you take over?"

"Excuse me for trusting you." He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, what's up with you? You've had that anxious I'm-about-to-throw-up look all period. No, all day!"

I sighed. "Carter."

He raised an eyebrow. "Carter? Who the hell is he?"

"Captain of the football team...he asked me out on Monday."

I saw something in Iggy's eyes snap, but shrugged it off. "I've got absolutely no experience in this department, and, well, I'm hopeless, Iggy. I'm so scared I'm going to screw this up!"

A girl walked down the aisle of the classroom, stopping at my table. "I've got leftover batter if you need it. I made a tiny pancake." She smiled sheepishly. "My name is Noelle, by the way."

"I'd definitely appreciate it." I smiled back a bit, just as sheepish. "Thinking too hard. Burnt my pancake."

"Ooo. Is it boy-related?" She pulled up a chair and propped up her elbows in front of us.

"Well, this guy asked me out, and I've got like no dating experience whatsoever. So I'm lost."

Iggy got up with our pan and grumbled, walking off to dump the gunk in the trashcan.

"What's his deal?" I mumbled, jabbing a finger at Iggy.

"You good friends?" she murmured back.

"I guess. Not sure. I'm actually not very social...I've been away from society basically since I was born, and I feel so naïve about this..."

Noelle looked at me with interest. "Where'd you used to live?"

Iris shrugged. "In the countryside of Italy. I was homeschooled. Then, when my parents lost our farm to bankruptcy, they were forced to give me up because they couldn't support me anymore." Great lie for only being given about five seconds to think about it!

"That's sad...did someone even have the cliché crush on the farmer's daughter?"

I laughed. "Nope." Not that I knew what the hell that meant…

Noelle put out her hand. "Noelle Wicker at your service! I shall help you through the hell that is high school!"

I gave another laugh and shook it. "Iris. And this is Iggy." I motioned to the silent bird kid next to me, cooking with his good eye.

Noelle grinned. "So. Why not come over to my house Saturday afternoon? I'll help you out. Promise not to dress you like a slut!"

I hid my baffled appearance. What the hell was a slut? "Sure, I guess." We swapped numbers, and then the bell rang. "Oh. Art class. Got to go, guys." I grinned, walking off.

Iggy

"So, Noelle," I smiled warmly, hatching a plan. Phase one in progress. "Can I come too?"

Noelle shrugged. "Sure. Just promise not to fall silent on me." she grinned, spinning open her locker, which happened to be next to mine. Iris was across the hall. Uh...not that I noticed.

I smirked. "I'm not the silent type, I assure you. That's more of my buddy Nick."

"The dark clothing-clad new kid? He won't talk to anyone but that girl of his. Max? Yeah. Her. That's her name… Otherwise he looks like the statue of Lincoln in Washington **(A/N: ?)**. _Nothing_."

I smirked again. "He's not a bad guy. He's just got problems with expression. Actually, I don't think it's even that. Maybe trust issues...I don't know. I never thought about it."

Noelle shrugged. "Eh. Anyway, I've got dance class. I'll see you soon, James." She stopped herself. "Uh…Iggy." With that being said, Noelle took her dance bag and closed her locker. "I'll see you soon."

I watched her walk away, then turned to walk away myself. God, school is going to be interesting.

Iris

On Saturday, I found myself at Noelle's doorstep. What was I doing...

"Oh, Iris! You're here!" she squealed. After a moment, she held open the door. "Come in. We've got quite a bit of work to do."

I stepped inside nervously. But once inside, it felt...homey. I liked it. "I love it here," I murmured. "It feels like how a home should feel."

Noelle led me up to her room, smiling. "Big house. But...my parents are business partners. So they travel a lot. But they bought me a car, and whenever they're gone, they send me money for groceries and stuff. It's a lonely life, and I don't have many friends. I'm also stuck taking care of my little sister Kate. But she goes to daycare...so yeah. At least she has something to do."

I sighed. "Sounds like it sucks."

"It does. I'm usually not irresponsible with my money, or bringing boys up to my room and stuff."

"I guess your parents must really trust you."

"Yeah…they do. Sometimes I wish they didn't just so they'd stay home…I feel like I'm raising my little sister by myself." Noelle shrugged. "Anyway, enough about me. Let's just get you dressed, okay? I'll let you borrow some of my clothes." She grinned cheekily at me, then pushed open the door to her room.

"Wow," I breathed. The walls were a soft purple color, with black designs painted randomly here and there. There was a white canopy bed with purple screens and white, black and light purple bedding seated against the wall, but in the middle of the room, next to a sliding glass door that led out to what I guessed was a balcony. The dressers were black, and a dark brown bookcase was next to an alcove, where many pillows and a window were displayed. "This place is awesome!"

Noelle laughed. "Thanks. I did some redecorating while my parents were in Milan. When they came back, they _loved _it. Anyway," She patted the chair to her vanity in the corner. "Have a seat. We'll do the hair and makeup first-"

_Ding dong!_

"—right after I get the door," she laughed again. "Wait here." Noelle slid down the stair railing, jumping off just before she hit the bottom. She then brushed herself off and looked through the window. Iggy.

"Hey Igs!" Noelle smiled, ushering him inside. "Come on. 'The party'," I put air quotes around 'the party' has just started." She led him back up to her room, where I was seated, brushing my wavy hair in the mirror.

"Iris."

I turned, noticing him. "Iggy."

Noelle poked the air, making a 'pop' noise. "There. I just popped the tension in the air." Both of us cracked a smile. "Now Iris, let's get to work. Mr. Iggy, I've got a PS3 over there with Black Ops in it. Go crazy."

He was gone in an instant, off to inspect the TV mounted on her dresser with the PS3 next to it.

"Captain of the football team, eh?" Noelle murmured, lifting my hair this way and that. "I'm surprised they notice anyone other than those cheerleaders with the skimpy outfits that are known all across campus for not owning a v-card. Except Jenny. She absolutely refuses to lose her's."

I smirked. "At least there's one cheerleader that hasn't completely lost their insanity."

"She's the nice one, too. One of my friends, though I don't talk to her much." Noelle finally pulled up the front of my hair and brushed it backward, then clipped it into a sparkling red barrette. "Perfect. The red looks great against your dark hair!"

I smiled. "Thanks. Amanda said it looked good against me…"

"So…hmm. Something black and red…I've got something perfect for that. But first, the eyes. Wow, Iris. Pretty eyes!"

"Hence the name, 'Iris'. One blue, one green."

Noelle grinned and put on a bit of mascara, along with some eyeliner. "I just can't get over them…wow. Someone could really fall in love with those eyes. Not me, of course, because that's not how the cookie crumbles, but seriously…why don't you think you're pretty, Iris?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't."

"Well, Carter will." She grinned, pulling me up and to the closet. "Now, I've got this cute red dress in the closet…Ah! Here it is." She tugged it out and held it up to me. "Looks like it'll fit. Hmm…take this vest, too." Noelle handed me a black vest. "Go change in the bathroom. Tis down the hall."

I nodded and walked off.

Noelle

While waiting, I sat on the bed next to Iggy. "Wow. You're pretty damn good at this game."

Iggy grinned. "I am? Why thank you. Fang and I play almost 24/7. You? You're…pretty. Just pretty."

I blushed, turning my face away. "Why thank you, kind sir."

"I am at your service, Lady Noelle." Iggy mock-bowed after pausing his game.

I just laughed. "Really now? And what does that mean?"

"I'm hoping it means we can go out for a bite to eat too." He grinned over at me.

I shrugged. "Sure, I guess. Let me just get finished setting up Iris, and then we can leave."

"Okay."

Iris

I stepped back inside and twirled around in my new outfit. "It looks nice," I smiled. "Thanks, Noelle."

"Call me Noe. And no problem, Iris! It looks stunning on you," she chuckled. "Now, I need your opinion, because I've got a date too."

"Really? With who?" I pulled her up, walking to her closet.

"Iggy," she squeaked under her breath once he'd returned to his game. "He's adorable, don't you think? And he seems super sweet."

Just like when I'd told Iggy about Carter and I, I felt something snap. Deep inside myself. What the hell? "He is. You'll have a great time with him," I smiled back, genuinely. "Now, I really think purple is your color." I held up a purple and white polka dotted dress to her frame. "By the way, what shoes am I wearing?"

"Depends. What size are you? Actually, meh. I'll just wear my little ankle boots."

"They look nice with that dress anyway…I'm gonna wear some black and white boots with mine. I'll go get changed. Did you tell Carter to come pick you up from here?"

"Yeah." Just then, the doorbell went off. "Ooh, I think that's him!" I waved hastily at Iggy and Noelle. "Have fun on your…" I blinked when I couldn't say it, and instead, just fled down the stairs and opened the door. "Hey, Carter."

Carter grinned and held out his arms. "Why, Miss Iris, might I say, you look gorgeous."

I hooked my arm through his. "So where are we going?"

"La Bella Luna."

Oh shit.


End file.
